Upper Caboolture
Statistical Area - sa2

Upper Caboolture lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Upper Caboolture's population is around 4,176 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 916 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,260 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,540 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 334 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 75 persons per square kilometer. Upper Caboolture's growth rate of 28.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.6%). Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 62.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041, with the area expected to grow by 3,599 persons, recording a gain of 70.9% in total over the 17 years based on the latest population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Upper Caboolture among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Upper Caboolture has received approximately 73 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports this data on a financial year basis, indicating 367 approvals over the past five years from FY21 to FY25, with 147 approvals recorded so far in FY26. On average, 0.9 people per dwelling have moved to the area annually during these five years.

This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with demand, offering more housing options and facilitating population growth. The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $358,000, which is lower than regional norms, providing more affordable housing options. Comparatively, Upper Caboolture has seen slightly higher development activity than Greater Brisbane, with a 43.0% increase per person over the past five years. This maintains reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand.

Notably, this level of development is significantly higher than the national average, indicating strong developer confidence in the location. New developments consist of 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. With approximately 50 people per dwelling approval, Upper Caboolture exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Projections indicate that the area is expected to grow by 2,961 residents by 2041. Current development levels appear aligned with future requirements, suggesting stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Upper Caboolture has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 54 projects potentially affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Lilywood Landings, Baycrown Property Group Development, Waraba (Caboolture West) Priority Development Area, and Lilywood Landings, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Upper Caboolture performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Upper Caboolture has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is prominent, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% and estimated employment growth of 9.6% over the past year as of June 2025.

In this month, 2,005 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.1% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key industries include construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction has a particularly high employment share, at 1.9 times the regional level.

Professional & technical services employ only 4.8% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as suggested by the difference between Census working population and resident population counts. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 9.6%, labour force grew by 8.3%, leading to a 1.1 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a drop of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment rate. Statewide in Queensland, as of Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5%, and employment growth is 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Upper Caboolture's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Upper Caboolture's median income among taxpayers was $46,726 and average income stood at $52,903 in financial year 2022. These figures are lower than Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520 during the same period. As of March 2025, current estimates suggest median income to be approximately $52,198 and average income around $59,098, based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 78th percentile with a weekly income of $2,202, while personal income sits at the 55th percentile. In income brackets, 37.0% of residents (1,545 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, mirroring the surrounding region where 33.3% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 30.4% exceeding $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 14.0% of income and strong earnings rank residents within the 80th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Upper Caboolture is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Upper Caboolture's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.6% houses and 1.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Brisbane metro had 88.8% houses and 11.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Upper Caboolture was 34.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.0% and rented ones at 8.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,058, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Upper Caboolture was $420, compared to Brisbane metro's $350. Nationally, Upper Caboolture's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,058 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $420 compared to the national figure of $375.

Upper Caboolture features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 87.3% of all households, including 42.9% couples with children, 35.3% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 12.7%, with lone person households at 11.4% and group households comprising 1.4% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.8.

Educational outcomes in Upper Caboolture fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 14.7%, significantly lower than Greater Brisbane's average of 30.5%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 11.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 46.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (35.9%). Educational participation is high, with 27.1% currently enrolled in formal education: secondary (9.8%), primary (8.9%), and tertiary (3.3%).

Schools seem to be located outside the immediate area, requiring students to attend those in neighboring regions.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Upper Caboolture is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Upper Caboolture faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 1,950 people), compared to 49.3% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.4% and 8.3% of residents respectively.

Meanwhile, 67.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.7% across Greater Brisbane. As of 2016, 19.9% of residents are aged 65 and over (around 830 people), which is higher than the 17.3% in Greater Brisbane, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Upper Caboolture is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Upper Caboolture showed cultural diversity below average, with 84.2% of its population born in Australia. Citizenship was high at 91.9%, and English-only speakers at home were 96.1%. Christianity dominated as the main religion, accounting for 49.3%, slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's 48.3%.

Ancestry-wise, English parents comprised 33.0%, Australian 29.8%, and Irish 7.7% of Upper Caboolture's population. Notable ethnic group differences included German at 5.8% (regional average: 4.5%), Welsh at 0.7% (vs regional 0.6%), and Samoan at 0.3% (vs regional 0.9%).

Upper Caboolture's median age exceeds the national pattern

Upper Caboolture has a median age of 41, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to the Greater Brisbane average, Upper Caboolture has an over-representation of the 65-74 cohort (11.9% locally) and an under-representation of the 25-34 age group (10.8%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 75 to 84 grew from 4.1% to 6.8%, while those aged 35 to 44 increased from 11.7% to 13.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 16.2% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Upper Caboolture's age profile will significantly change. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 521 people (184%), growing from 282 to 804.